Guardian Angel
by Pandabeat
Summary: Just as she was about to run away from Daisuke and his obsession with Risa, Riku suddenly finds herself with an injured Dark in her bedroom. DarkxRiku DarkRiku RikuxDark RikuDark
1. Prologue

There just aren't enough DarkRiku fics out there. So I've finally sat down and written the one that's been circling in my head for about a year now.

Summary: I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven. DarkRiku

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even my soul

Quick background on this fic:

It starts at the beginning of the last year of Azumano Middle School.

Riku, Daisuke, Risa, Takeshi, Satoshi: 15

Dark:??? But he looks like he's 17

Tsuchibana:??? He's the Haradas' butler.

_Thoughts or Lyrics or Flashback start/end_

**Dark talking to Daisuke in his mind or vise versa**

* * *

Prologue

* * *

It had always been obvious. So painfully obvious.

She grew up in Risa's shadow, it was always Risa this and Risa that throughout her life.

It seemed that her successes were nothing compared to Risa.

Risa got all the attention.

It was beautiful Risa, the sweet Risa, the one whom was courteous…

The one who captured the heart of the one she loved.

Daisuke was constantly on her mind.

His messy flyaway red hair.

His sparkling crimson eyes.

His cute smile.

And his child like demeanor.

Riku's love for Daisuke grew as she got to know him more. Sadly, Daisuke had not felt the same towards her.

It didn't matter.

She waited patiently for the day Daisuke would return her feelings to her.

But Riku saw the looks Daisuke and Risa passed to each other.

She just denied it.

Her heart was slowly breaking, bit by bit as the days slowly went on.

She pretended that she was just fine.

She pretended she was okay.

She pretended that she wasn't falling into the darkness.

She hid her feelings, and always had a fake smile on her face to convince others that she wasn't hurting inside. But the person she wanted most to convince was herself.

It continued for months.

The walls of fabrication getting higher and higher. The strings of lies wrapped around her heart tighter and tighter.

Her heart could only take so much. The pain, the hurt, the sadness and the agony was too much to bear.

And finally when she had seen through her thick walls of delusion, misconception and flawed belief, she could not deny it any longer.

And so she broke down.

Alone.

Left alone to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart.

Or so she thought.

The last person she could ever thought of to comfort her, the last person she thought would care for her, did.

And he had promised her, to protect her. And to never let her get hurt again. It was a side of him she had only seen in her dreams.

He had been concerned about her. He had been there for her when she broke. He had promised her.

And she believed him.

* * *

Okay, so that's the prologue for this story. Some parts of it may confuse you, but rest assured it will become clear as the story continues. I already have most of chapter one done, so just waiting for you kind people to press the review button.


	2. Chapter 1

I doubt this chapter is any good. I have the habit of dumping all of the information in one chapter instead of separating into chapters for cliffhangers or surprises. That makes for long, boring paragraphs and as mentioned, no surprises for later chapters. I suck. If you don't know what a Japanese word that I use means, just say so in a review and I'll pm you back the meaning.

I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven. DarkRiku

Quick background:

It starts at the beginning of last year of Azumano Middle School.

Riku, Daisuke, Risa, Takeshi, Satoshi: 15

Dark: ??? But he looks like he's 17

Tsubouchi: ??? He's the Haradas' butler.

**Dark to Daisuke; **_Daisuke to Dark_

_Thoughts_

_Lyrics_

_Flashback_

_Dreams_

* * *

Your Guardian Angel Chapter 1

* * *

Harada Riku rolled her eyes at the squeals coming from the girls crowded around the museum as a spotlight caught the tail end of a pair of black wings. She leaned her head back against the bench she was sitting on and closed her eyes. But she soon opened one eye and sneaked a peek at the crowd, looking for her twin. Riku hoped she hadn't done something ridiculous like actually sneaking into the museum looking for Phantom Thief Dark, considering he was a playboy and already outside the building. When she spotted Risa's long brown hair and frilly pink dress in the crowd Riku sighed with relief and closed her eyes again.

Phantom Thief Dark laughed as he heard the frantic shouts of the police as he flew leisurely above the museum, considering toying with them for a little while longer as the piece of artwork he had come to steal was already snug in his arms. He glanced down at the crowd of women in front of the museum entrance, quickly spotting Risa in the midst. He frowned slightly, hoping the girl hadn't come alone. He let out a small sigh when he saw the older twin, Riku, relaxing on a bench a bit ways off. But he frowned again when he noticed that Riku was shivering from the cold wind. Considerately, he stripped off his jacket and dropped it over Riku as he flew above her before angling towards home. A black feather floated down after the jacket.

Riku jumped slightly when something fell over her, blocking her vision. Grasping the black material she pulled it off and immediately looked around for the owner. A black feather landed on her lap and now Riku looked up at the night sky. Dark was quickly flying away... in a T-shirt. The Phantom Thief had obviously dropped his coat but it hardly seemed like an accident since he wasn't flying around looking for it. But why would he drop the jacket? Riku frowned. He knew who she was so it wasn't that weird. But, why to her? Sure, she was cold but why would he care?

"Riku!!" Risa's voice brought Riku out of her thoughts and for a moment she stared blankly at her younger twin. Harada Risa had long brown hair that was habitually tied back into a single ponytail, much like it was now. She wore a frilly pink dress that was probably fashionable and cute in the general female opinion. Riku, however, found it excessive and inconvenient to wear such outfits. Risa's brown eyes looked curiously at her older twin.

"Riku?" she repeated.

"Oh, are you done now?" Riku responded immediately now. Risa nodded then spotted the jacket in Riku's lap. She reached out to finger the material.

"Where'd you get this?" she asked.

"Oh I found it here on the bench and I put it on since I was cold. No one said anything and it's pretty cool so I think I'll keep it," Riku lied, quickly stuffing the feather into a pocket. If Risa spotted that, she'd never hear the end of it. "Now let's go home before Tsubouchi worries." Risa nodded reluctantly and the twin girls headed home.

Later that night, Riku sat up in bed gasping for breath. She pressed a hand to her flushed face and let out a frustrated groan. She'd just _another _stupid dream about him and it did _not_ involve her getting revenge against him for stealing her first kiss. Riku flushed a deeper shade of red as she recalled what _had _occurred in the dream. She dearly hoped the dreams weren't some sort of foreshadowing.

Absently, Riku glanced at the clock and got up to get ready for school. After she finished showering, changing, and eating breakfast, Riku called out that she was leaving then hopped on her bike and pedaled quickly to school, enjoying the feel of the wind in her face. When she reached Azumano Middle School, she put her bike at the bike rack then headed for the shoe area and then to class. She placed her typical yellowish-brown school bag on the hook on the side of her desk, which was on right side at the front of the class. She looked around the class, noting Niwa Daisuke had not yet arrived.

Daisuke was one of her close friends, and the guy she currently had a major crush on. But, unfortunately, Daisuke only held such feelings for her younger twin Risa. He'd been fawning over her since they'd met at the beginning of middle school, two years before. He constantly asked Riku of ways to win over Risa, oblivious to how he hurt her by asking. Riku hid it well, of course, behind a happy façade. The only person she was herself with was her other close male friend, Hiwatari Satoshi.

Satoshi was the eye candy of the class, meaning all the other girls swooned over him the way Risa swooned over Dark. Satoshi found it mildly annoying, as he often said to Riku when they were relaxing on the roof of the school. They were the only two people in the school who knew how to get up there so it was their sanctuary. Satoshi was also known as Commander Hiwatari, as his father was part of the police and he himself was in charge of the task force formed to capture Dark. Satoshi's desk was in the row to Riku's right, all the way in the back, farther back than Daisuke's, who was on the left side of the class, two seats behind Risa's desk. Riku walked towards Satoshi, as he was always there before her, no matter how early she came.

"Morning," she said, sitting in the desk in front of his. He nodded back slightly, not being the talkative type. "Hey, Satoshi?"

"Hm?" he answered, not raising his eyes from the book he was reading.

"Do you know what Dark's stealing tonight?" she asked, lowering her voice so no one would hear.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Well, Risa's going again tonight and I want to know which museum he was stealing from to know if I had to bring a jacket or not," Riku replied.

"You should bring a jacket anyway," Satoshi said.

"Just tell me, please?" Satoshi let out a small sigh.

"I don't know. He hasn't left a note yet," he said. Riku nodded then looked up as the teacher walked in.

"Alright everyone, the bell is about to ring so back to your seats!" she said. Riku obligingly returned, while noticing Daisuke and Risa were still not there.

_Niwa-kun probably woke up late, _Riku thought as she took her seat. Riku's heart beat faster as she thought of the redhead with ruby eyes and sweet smile which made her weak at the knees when he aimed it toward her. His bright, caring smile with the kindness reflected in his red eyes. The same smile he turned on anyone, not just her. To him, she was just a friend and the older twin of Harada Risa, his one true love. Riku knew the cold, harsh facts about their nonexistent relationship and sadly accepted them, though it had taken her months to do so. Riku smiled bitterly as she remembered the torture she'd gone through to face the facts. Despite it, she continued to love him hoping he would finally see her for who she was.

"Sumimasen! I woke up late!" Daisuke shouted as he stumbled into the room. Riku smiled softly at the excuse, feeling happy that she'd guessed right. The smile fell when she noticed Risa behind him.

"I forgot my books at home so I had to go back and get them. Sumimasen," Risa apologized.

"Alright, alright, just take your seats," the teacher said. The two quickly sat down and homeroom started.

As the teacher went over the guidelines and arrangements for the school festival, Riku started drawing in her sketchbook. A few seemingly random lines soon formed a head and then a body. She concentrated on the head, drawing the hair and eyes in detail first before going on to the rest of the figure.

"Wow, Riku! What a great drawing of Hikaru!" Riku's friend, Ritsuko, said. She had long light brown hair that was always tied into two braids. "You like _Boundaries _too?"

"Yeah," Riku said, leaning back in her chair to study her drawing.

"Isn't so hot?! And Yuki is so beautiful! They make the perfect couple!" Ritsuko squealed.

"_Boundaries _has the best storyline out of all the mangas I've ever read," Riku's other friend, Haruka, said, coming up to the two girls. She had shoulder-length blue hair with the top tied into a bun and the rest of her hair loose. "I can't wait for the next volume to come out."

"I heard the next volume is coming out in two weeks," Riku replied. Both girls gasped.

"Really?!" they cried together.

"_Boundaries _volume six is coming out in two weeks?!" another girl said, overhearing the conversation. Riku nodded.

"Oh my god that's awesome!" the girl cried.

"What's _Boundaries_?" Risa asked. Riku's two friends turned to face Risa.

"How do you not know what _Boundaries _is? It's the greatest shoujo manga ever!" Ritsuko cried.

"What is it about?" Saehara Takeshi cut in.

"_Boundaries _tells the story of Hikaru. He's not human, but he lives with them in Tokyo. Many years ago though, he didn't. He lived in another place called the Temple. He was thrown out of the Temple because he left his job to be with this girl named Yuna, who was a human worker. Of course Yuna tried to convince him to leave her and he said no. At the gates of the Temple, Hikaru was given was last chance to leave Yuna. He refused, admitting that he loved her. Outraged, Hikaru's younger brother, Ryo, leaped to the top of the gates and unleashed a beam-like energy that killed Yuna. Her body fell through the ground and Hikaru leapt after her and they fell to Earth," Riku explained. "That was decades ago. Now in Tokyo, Hikaru is trying to blend in by attending high school. He meets Yuki there and she bears a striking similarity to Yuna."

"That's only the first and second volumes though. The third volume introduces Sora. He's got this vendetta against Hikaru but the books haven't said why and so Sora is seducing Yuki which makes Hikaru mad even though all he sees in Yuki is Yuna. Then the devil and god start doing things, like trying to send Yuki to hell," Haruka added. "There's been two big fight scenes so far."

"Seems more like a shonen manga to me," Takeshi replied.

"It's not a shonen manga!" all the girls, save the twins, shouted at him.

"Here, look at this! Its volume five, take a look. It's not shonen!" Ritsuko said, shoving the manga in Takeshi's face.

"Whoa! This art is amazing! Who's the author?" he said, staring at the cover.

"No one knows. On the manga all it says is Rika," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I bet I could find out who it is! I'm a reporter, after all," Takeshi shouted.

"I doubt it. Tons of fans have tried to find out, even going to the extent of camping out in front of the editors' office, who are probably the only people who know who the mangaka is," she said.

"I bet then that it's some horny old guy who lives with his mom," Takeshi laughed. Riku laughed.

"Believe what you want," she grinned.

.::.

After school, Riku walked out of the school building and onto the field where she and her team would practice lacrosse. Absently, she swung her stick a few times while she walked over to where her friends were gathered.

"Harada-san!!!" a voice yelled. Riku's heart beat faster when she recognized the voice. She turned.

"Niwa-kun, daijobu?" Riku asked, trying to be calm.

"Ehh, I was just wondering if you knew whether Harada-san is free Friday night," he replied, flushing a little.

_Risa. Of course. Nothing ever changes, he'll never notice me,_ Riku thought with a pang of disappointment. _He won't care, like Dark does... _Riku froze when she finished the thought. _Dark?! Why am I thinking about Dark! It's a stupid dream! Nothing more! _

"Ah, Harada-san? Daijobu?" Daisuke reached out a hand, concerned. Riku immediately stepped back.

"Ah, I'm fine, I'm fine. Anyway, Risa will probably free, unless Dark steals something that night," she replied hastily, heart bumping against her ribs. She turned on her heel and walked swiftly away.

"Ah, Harada-san!" Daisuke's arm stretched out but Riku was too far away.

"That was weird..." he thought aloud.

**Are you blind? **Dark wondered.

_What are you talking about, Dark? _Daisuke replied as he turned to walk all the way home. Inside his mind, Dark sighed and shook his head.

**You're an idiot, kid. Just for that, maybe I will steal something on Friday. **

_Nani?! Don't, Dark!!! Onegai!_

**Hmph, whatever. Don't blame me or beg me for help when Risa rejects you. There's nothing worth liking about you anyway, **Dark muttered bad temperedly.

_You're such a jerk, Dark._

**You're the jerk, **Dark retorted. **You're blind too. Equally bad. Now hurry up and get home. **

_Yeah, yeah. Jeez. _

.::.

Riku sighed and flopped back onto her bed as her minds filled with images of Daisuke, making her cheeks flush.

"Darn it, why can't I get over you? This pain is too much," Riku whispered dejectedly. "I know us being together is impossible, so why...?" Riku sighed again and raised her head slightly to look at her desk and the books stacked there.

"Why can't life be like a manga? Everything works out in the end...." Riku closed her eyes and slipped into sleep.

_Riku walked quickly down the hall, pushed open a set of double doors and strode inside. _

"_I just knew you'd be here," Riku fisted her hands on her hips as she glared at the man sitting on the bed. He looked up at her and smiled playfully._

"_Well of course, why wouldn't I be in your room?" he said, standing up and walking to her. He stroked a finger down her smooth cheek. _

"_Cut it out, Dark. We have to go back to the ball room," Riku swatted at his finger. _

"_Why don't we just stay here?" Dark whispered into Riku's ear as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist. He ran his hands up her back and nudged her closer to him. _

"_Dark, stop it!" Riku attempted to get free, but only for form. They both knew well that Riku detested the parties and would prefer being with Dark. Dark chuckled then bent his head to kiss her. Immediately Riku stopped struggling and wrapped her arms around his neck. _

"_Cheater," she muttered when he released her lips but a reluctant smile tugged at her lips as she looked up at him. "But I guess the party isn't that important." Dark grinned and laid her on the bed. _

Riku shot up in bed, blushing furiously. She rubbed her hands hard against her face before letting out a long sigh. She flipped off the bed covers and padded over to her desk. Using a hidden key she'd pulled from a hiding spot, she unlocked one of the drawers and pulled out the feather she'd stuck there earlier. She locked the drawer again and hid the key again then turned back to sit on the edge of her bed. She gently stroked the glossy black feather, thinking of the dream where Dark's eyes were filled with love for her and she, or the her in the dream, had been extremely happy to see him. Riku somehow knew that in the dream, she and Dark had been married.

"It's just a dream, it can't mean anything. Can it?" Riku wondered aloud. She frowned and thought back to something Satoshi had said before.

"_Dark and Krad have been around for generations. Every time Dark is born, he falls in love with someone, just like his Tamer does. Krad on the other hand tries to gain control over his Tamer instead of reaching out to others while his Tamer is fearful of being with others. But before all that, they were humans too. They had lives, loves, families, friends."_

"If that is from the past, why is it me? And Niwa-kun, Risa, and Satoshi are there too..." Riku trailed off and frowned. "Reincarnation? No... It can't be. For us to have the same exact names? It's just a dream."

But still, Riku sighed and wished the love she'd seen in Dark's eyes would one day be seen in Daisuke's eyes. Riku crawled back under the covers and stuck the feather under her pillow.

.::.

Dark stared dejectedly at the wall in the 'sanctuary' he'd constructed in Daisuke's mind. He ran a hand through his tousled purple hair and wished the dreams would stop. He didn't want to be reminded of the happiness he once had, before the Niwa-Hikari curse had struck him, forever binding him to the Niwa clan.

"The hottest love has the coldest end," he quoted in a louder voice. "It fits our love perfectly, doesn't it... Riku?"


	3. Chapter 2

Your Guardian Angel Chapter 2

**Dark to Daisuke; **_Daisuke to Dark__  
Thoughts__  
Lyrics__  
Flashback  
__Dreams**  
Dark's thoughts**_

_**

* * *

**_

"So guys, it's time to decide what we're going to do for the school festival!" Takeshi announced. "The other classes are doing the usual cafés and booths. Any ideas?"

Riku barely paid any attention as the rest of the class argued over what to do for the festival. Bored, she started sketching Hikaru and Yuki dancing together. The ballroom from her dream had stuck in her mind and Riku wanted to draw a romantic picture of the main characters. Riku's pencil paused when she heard Takeshi ask Daisuke if he had any ideas.

"Ano..." Daisuke nervously glanced around the class for ideas. He spotted Riku sitting at her desk with her sketchbook. "Maybe something with... art?"

"Huh? You mean like drawings and paintings and stuff? How's that gonna bring in customers, idiot?!" Takeshi demanded. Daisuke hunched his shoulders.

"You asked _me_, Takeshi," he said embarrassed.

"How about a usual cosplay café but we focus on a work of art?" someone suggested.

"But what work of art has a lot of people in it?" someone else wondered.

Riku tuned out the replies being shot all over the room and continued drawing. The class argued for so long that she finished her ballroom picture and flipped to another paper in her sketchbook. She tucked a loose hair behind her ear as her mind went blank. Riku sat back in her chair and twirled her pencil around her hand.

"Ah! I know!" Riku leaned forward and hunched over her paper as inspiration struck. She quickly sketched out the basic body structure of a tall male and then a shorter, slimmer figure of a girl. Working quicker on it than the first sketch but adding small amounts of color, Riku quickly drew in the features of the guy; giving him short blond hair and light blue eyes and making him wear green swim trunks. She switched to the girl and made her hair and eyes a light brown and her bikini the same green shade as her companion. She was so intent on her work that she didn't notice Haruka walk up behind her and peek over her shoulder.

"Wow Riku! First _Boundaries, _now _Limitless_! You really are a fan of Rika, huh?" she asked amazed.

"Kind of. The storyline isn't very original but the artwork is good," Riku replied.

"Oh! I know! How about we do a Rika based café? We all dress up as the characters from her mangas!" Haruka exclaimed.

"I thought she only did shoujo manga. What are the guys supposed to wear?" Takeshi demanded.

"Rika did some sports manga too! There is one on soccer and another on Ultimate Frisbee," she argued.

"Ugh! Fine! Who wants to do what she said?" Takeshi asked.

Slowly the class agreed and they set to work on deciding which manga to use.

"Well, so far, Rika has _Boundaries_, _Limitless_, _Camaraderie_, and _Sacrifice_. But only _Boundaries _has gone beyond one volume," Ritsuko explained. "_Camaraderie _is the one on soccer and _Limitless _is the one on Ultimate Frisbee."

"Uh-huh yeah so how are we supposed to make the costumes? I don't suppose you girls have all the books with you. We have to get something done today," one of the guys called out.

"Riku can draw them out for you," Haruka held up Riku's sketchbook. Takeshi grabbed it and the class crowded around to flip through it. "Here, see this page is _Boundaries_, this other page is _Limitless, _oh and it looks like there are some of the other characters from the books in here. Wow, Riku, this is really amazing! And they're colored too!"

"Amazing!" Daisuke agreed, looking over Takeshi's shoulders. He looked at Riku and beamed a smile at her. "Harada-san, I didn't know you were such a wonderful artist!"

"Ah, a-arigato, Niwa-kun," Riku blushed and looked away. She caught Satoshi's eyes and glared at the small smirk on his face.

**Wow, Riku really is great, **Dark commented.

_Oh yeah, I didn't know she was into art, _Daisuke agreed.

**You don't know anything about her, stupid, **Dark replied shortly.

_What are you talking about? I know Harada-san really well! _

**Oh yeah? What's her favorite color?**

_Isn't it red?_

**No, stupid! What's her favorite food? Favorite book? Hobby? You don't know anything!!! **Dark shouted.

_What's wrong with you?! Calm down!!!! _Daisuke shouted back. He retreated back to his desk and sat down with a huff. _It's not like you know!_

**Uh, correction, moron, I know! **

_Liar. _

**Oh shut up. You aren't worth it. You don't deserve Riku anyway, **Dark muttered and then retreated into his sanctuary.

Daisuke stared blankly at his desk, feeling strangely empty. He glanced at Riku, who was still at her desk but had gotten her sketchbook back. He shifted his gaze and immediately he blushed when Risa caught his eyes. He lifted his hand slightly in a wave and Risa smiled at him.

Riku watched them out of the corner of her eyes. _Damn it,_ Riku clenched the pencil in her hand. _I can't take it anymore! _Riku abruptly shoved out of her seat, grabbed her stuff, and stormed out of the classroom.

.::.

_Thursday night_

Riku was sitting on her bed in her pajamas flipping idly through a magazine when her cell phone rang. She picked it up and glanced at the Caller ID. She flipped it open.

"Hey, Satoshi, what's up?"

"Dark is stealing on Friday at nine," Satoshi informed her. "He's already stolen tonight."

"Ah, 'kay, thanks."

"Niwa asked Harada out after you left. She turned him down," Satoshi said after a moment. Riku sucked in a breath.

"Satoshi, damn it, I don't want to hear it," she snapped.

"Give up on him," he stated bluntly and hung up. Riku scowled down at her phone.

"I know, I'm trying!" she muttered and buried her face in her pillow.

"_I love you, Riku," _Dark's words floated inside her head.

"Dark," Riku whispered. She got off her bed and went out to her balcony. She looked up and sure enough, Dark was angling towards wherever he went to store the artworks he stole. But to get there he had to pass over the Harada mansion.

She and Dark locked eyes when he glided over. Dark slowed down and Riku gasped when she saw the same love-filled gaze the Dark in her dream had given her. Riku blushed and whirled around to storm inside. She flung the drapes closed and slid to the floor.

"It's just the dream, just the dream affecting me," Riku whispered fiercely to herself.

But this time her heart wasn't beating for Daisuke.

.::.

Dark was silent when he landed in the backyard of the Niwa home. He sighed and ran a hand through his tousled purple hair as he strode inside. He placed the necklace he stole on the dining table and walked upstairs. With jumped from Dark's shoulders to Daiki's lap, who was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper.

"That's odd, Dark is never so somber," Emiko frowned at the stairs. Her husband, Kosuke, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure Daisuke's just affecting him since Harada-san rejected him again," he said soothingly. Emiko reluctantly nodded.

Stroking With's head, Daiki shook his head but said nothing.

Upstairs, Daisuke was lying in bed. He still couldn't get over the fact that Risa had _again _rejected him.

"Ah, what's wrong with me?" Daisuke scrubbed his hands over his face.

_**You want a list? **_Dark thought to himself.

Daisuke continued to mutter dejectedly to himself while Dark once again receded to the depths of his mind.

"Riku," Dark said aloud and listened to how the word echoed in the darkness.

"I need you... Please..."

**_Keep your promise... please.._**

* * *

Yes, I know it's bad and incredibly short compared to my usual chapters. But the good stuff starts happening next chapter~ :D It won't take me as long to update next time since next chapter is the start of what I always wanted to write.


	4. Chapter 3

Your Guardian Angel Chapter 3

**Dark to Daisuke; **_Daisuke to Dark__  
Thoughts__  
Lyrics  
Flashback  
Dreams**  
Dark's thoughts**_

* * *

Riku groaned and placed her head on her desk. She turned her head and glanced out at the night sky. Her dreams had continued to haunt relentlessly and now she found herself drawing various depictions of Dark, with or without wings, smiling, frowning, flying, standing; she even had a picture of him doing a handstand!

She twirled her pencil in her hand, lifting her head to glance at the clock. 8:35 p.m. Risa still hadn't returned from going to another one of Dark's thefts. She sighed and turned her attention back to the half-finished sketch in front of her. She reached for a Micron pen and gently outlined Dark's wings. Time passed as she became more engrossed and later the grandfather clock downstairs chimed nine o'clock, bringing Riku back.

"Man," Riku rubbed her eyes and left her room. "Risa!" Riku frowned and pushed open her twin's door. When they'd reached middle school and had begun to see each other as rivals, they'd begged their parents to let them have separate rooms. Riku winced at the pink and frilly things scattered around Risa's room haphazardly. Her own room was streamlined and simple. Riku sighed and left the girly room and headed back to hers. If Risa had gotten herself in trouble, she'd have to get herself out of it. Riku was tired. Just as Riku locked her door behind her, she heard a strange noise out on her balcony.

"What the...?" Riku slowly approached the glass doors leading to said balcony, grabbing a titanium baseball bat on the way. She peeked through her curtains but couldn't see anything. She reached over and pushed the door open, but didn't stand in the doorway. She grabbed a stuffed animal and tossed it outside but nothing moved. Riku hesitated a moment, then quickly moved outside.

"Kami!" Riku gasped. "Dark!" Riku rushed forward and dropped beside the badly injured Dark. She glanced up and around quickly, and then spotted Krad and his white wings. Her heart wrenched a moment. _Satoshi, what happened? _Dark groaned softly and Riku turned back to him. She slung his arm over her shoulders and struggled to stand. Eventually, huffing and puffing for air, Riku managed to get Dark inside her room. She pulled the door shut, and snapped the drapes in place, effectively blocking Krad being able to see if Dark was in her room. With one mighty heave, Riku dragged Dark onto her bed. She examined him critically, ripping open his shirt to see all of his injuries.

A long gash slashed diagonally from his left shoulder to right hip. It wasn't very deep but likely hurt like hell. Dark's knuckles were ripped and swollen and various cuts cover his hands. The cuts actually covered his whole upper body area, with one going horizontally under his right eye. Riku blushed slightly as she tugged his pants down and she sighed with relief when she saw he wore boxers. Luckily, there weren't any injuries on his long legs and Riku pulled his pants back up. Riku got off the bed and hurried into her bathroom, opening the cabinet under her sink to grab her first aid kit and some water and towels. She snapped on gloves from the kit, knelt on the bed again beside Dark and applied pressure on the main cut to prevent bleeding. She pulled out a small needle and put the blunt end inside the wound then quickly pulled it out.

"Less than a quarter of an inch, whew," Riku sighed with relief. No doctors needed then. She continued to press the towels to the cut for fifteen minutes to make the bleeding stop. After said time passed, Riku lifted the towels and indeed the bleeding had stopped. She wrung the towel out in the basin next to her, wincing at the blood that seeped out. She used another wet towel and gently patted the wound down to clean it. After a few minutes, Riku rung the towel out and set it aside. She fished around in her kit for her long white bandages. She unrolled a new roll and slowly wrapped it around Dark's chest, mindful not to reopen the wound. When that deed was done, Riku cleaned his knuckles and wrapped them in gauze. Riku then concentrated on other wounds, cleaning them and covering them bandages.

When she was done, Riku sat back with a sigh, rolling her neck on her shoulders. Glancing at the time, she realized it had taken her a whole hour to treat the injured thief. Wait. It dawned on Riku that she had just helped a _criminal. _Riku swallowed hard.

"_I love you, Riku," Dark whispered. _

Riku scowled and shook her head. Then paused. Maybe...? She'd get answers from Dark once he woke, she decided. She had to know what the dreams meant. Were they real or just a figment of her wild imagination?

Riku crawled off the bed and went back to her desk. She plopped down on her chair and slid down a little, flicking a glance at the unconscious Dark.

"What a day this has turned out to be," she groaned.

* * *

Short, yes my apologies. But there will be an update on New Year's. There will be.


	5. Chapter 4

Guardian Angel Chapter 4

**Dark to Daisuke; **_Daisuke to Dark_

_Thoughts_

_Lyrics_

_Flashback_

_Dreams_

_**Dark's thoughts**_

* * *

Dark woke on a wave of pain. A groan slipped passed his slightly open lips. His vision swam blackly and he could just barely make out a wall of white that filled his vision. Dimly he realized he was staring a ceiling and he struggled to lift his head, which was pounding with pain. His hands fisted in the sheets for grip and he managed to lift his head a few inches. His half-lidded eyes focused on the back of some girl sitting at a desk against the wall. Another sound of pain came out of his mouth and the girl turned her body slightly on her chair to face him. If he'd had the strength, his eyes would have widened.

"Ri...Riku?" he breathed. Riku rolled her eyes and moved over to him, gently shoving his shoulder so he lay back down.

"You've been out for two days," she told him. "Don't talk, you still need your rest."

"H...How?" Dark asked, closing his eyes.

"You passed out on my balcony," came the reply. "The necklace you stole is in a box in my closet by the way."

"Ah..." Dark breathed in and out slowly, trying to assess his injuries. His chest and head ached like hell and his hands felt really stiff. He vaguely remembered the theft that apparently occurred two nights ago. That theft had had been the weirdest and most dangerous one he'd ever pulled.

**Daisuke?**

...

**DAISUKE???!!!**

Panic settled deep in Dark's gut. He _knew _that freakish blast from Krad's whatever-it-was had done something bad. He had to get back to the Niwas'. But he was here in Riku's bedroom and she wasn't calling him a pervert and throwing whatever was handy at him. But...

"I...have to go..." he said between gritted teeth.

"I don't think so." His eyes were still closed but he knew Riku was scowling. "Whether you like it or not, Dark, you're stuck here for a while. The gash on your chest is going to take more than a week to heal. If you move now, you risk reopening it."

Dark wanted to argue but couldn't. The pain was rising and now he just wanted to sleep. As he drifted, he thought he heard something.

"Rest easy, Dark," Riku was saying. "I still have questions that only you can answer." She stroked a hand down his purple hair before she caught herself. She blushed and furiously shook her head and headed back to her desk.

.::.

The next time Dark woke, he was able to stay conscious longer and to argue better and longer with Riku.

"Riku, I have to go. The place I'm going isn't that far away and the people there will treat me," he argued.

"Iie!" Riku shoved him onto his back. "You're staying here, damn it!"

Dark raised a brow at her curse.

"Why do you want me to stay?" he asked softly, raising a hand to stroke her cheek. Riku automatically slapped his hand away.

"Because...because..." Riku blushed and turned away. "Ah, never mind! If you want to go so bad, just go then! Be sure to take the necklace with you."

Riku nearly ran out of her room and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against it and let out a sigh. She pressed a hand to her thudding heart and cursed again.

Inside her room, Dark blinked at her odd behavior. He closed his eyes and sighed, lifting a hand and running it gingerly over his chest. He was extremely grateful Riku knew first aid so well. The bandages were white and he was pretty sure they had been changed since the first time he woke. He shifted and tried to sit up but after a few sweaty minutes, gave up. Riku was right, he wasn't going anywhere for a while. He was anxious to get in contact with Emiko, Daisuke's mother, so he glanced around for a phone. He spotted one on Riku's desk and groaned. It'd be a while before he could gather the strength to get across the room.

.::.

Downstairs, Riku was flipping through TV channels when her stomach growled loudly. Riku blushed and was glad no one was around. She turned off the TV and padded into the spacious kitchen. The only people who ever used it were Riku and Tsuchibana, as Risa had absolutely no domestic skills. Riku pulled open a stainless steel fridge and peered inside.

"Enough for a meal," she mused then paused. _Dark must be starving, _she thought and considerately pulled out ingredients for two. She tied her hair back with a band and hoped Dark liked Chinese food.

Fifteen minutes later, she piled the dishes onto a tray and carted it upstairs. She balanced the tray on one hand and opened her door then quickly walked to the bed.

"Oi," she poked Dark's shoulder. "You awake?"

"Nn, hai," he mumbled, opening one purple eye.

"Good, because I cooked you food," Riku placed the tray on the nightstand then leaned over him to help hm sit up. Placing her hands under his armpits, she pulled hard and soon Dark was leaning up against her pillows. She arranged his legs and placed the tray on his lap.

"I'm not handicapped," he complained. "I can move around myself fine."

"Then why are you still here?" Riku shot back.

"Because I love being around you," Dark grinned and forked up a bite of rice and grilled chicken. His eyes widened as he chewed and swallowed. "Sugoi, Riku, this is really great!"

"Ah, arigato," she blushed. "Is it enough for you?"

"Hai, hai," Dark continued to grin at as he shoveled more food into his mouth. "Mm, I could eat your cooking for the rest of my life!"

"Ah, urusai, you stupid flirt," Riku muttered, her face getting redder as she snatched her plate and started eating.

"I mean it! I kind of wished I'd passed out your balcony before," Dark hummed a tune, his mood a million times brighter. _Riku's cooking is so good, _he thought.

"Whatever," Riku replied and took her plate to her desk.

"Aw, Riku, eat with me!" Dark turned into cute-patient-wanting-his-nurse mode.

"I have work to do," she replied, waving a hand at him. She sat at her desk and started drawing.

"Work? Like what?" Dark wanted to know.

"Stuff," Riku said vaguely.

"Aw," Dark repeated. "Why won't Riku tell?"

"It's a secret. Now, if you're done, put the tray on the nightstand and go to sleep."

Dark studied Riku's back for a moment. _Kind of odd how she's not angry with me for passing out on her balcony, _he noted. But he said nothing, merely slid down so he was flat on his back. He yawned and fell asleep.

When she heard his breathing even out, Riku stood and dragged her chair next to the bed. Balancing her sketchbook on her lap, she started drawing Dark's handsome sleeping face until she herself was asleep.


	6. Chapter 5

Guardian Angel Chapter 5

**Dark to Daisuke; **_Daisuke to Dark  
Thoughts  
Lyrics  
Flashback  
__Dreams**  
Dark's thoughts**_

* * *

The next time Dark woke, it took him a few dizzying minutes to realize he was alone in Riku's bedroom. Turning his head slightly, he glanced at the clock. _4:42 pm., _he noted. _Riku must be at school practicing lacrosse. _He checked the calendar to make sure. Indeed, it was a Thursday. Dark quickly calculated how long he'd been out this time.

"Three days, whoa," Dark let out a long breath. Experimentally, he flexed his hands, pleased when there was only a slight stiffness. He placed them palm down on the bed and struggled to sit up. He let out a grunt and a whoosh of air when he completed the task a tough ten minutes later. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and bracing his left hand on Riku's nightstand, he tried standing. The room pitched a little but soon righted itself. Dark smirked.

"Can't keep the Phantom Thief down for long," he said. He looked down and examined the clean white bandages covering his bare chest and torso. _I wonder how often Riku changes them. _He glanced around the room again, looking for his shirt. He caught a flash of black on Riku's desk chair and slowly moved to it. He pulled the chair back and sighed when it was just one of Riku's shirts. He was about to turn back to the bed when the items on Riku's desk caught his eye. He sat down in the chair and eyed the papers speculatively.

"Riku better not kill me for this," he muttered and flipped the top paper over. His eyes widened. It was colored drawing of him sleeping in Riku's bed. He angled his head examining the expression on his face before going to the other drawings. He looked at each page until they were all laid face up on the desk.

"Sugoi," he breathed. All the drawings were of him, all colored, and beautifully done. Every picture had him in a different pose. His brow arched as he studied the one of him doing a handstand. "Have I ever even done that before?"

He shuffled all the drawings together and placed them exactly as he'd found them, pondering why Riku had drawn him. He noticed a folder propped behind Riku's lamp desk and snagged it. He opened it and was once again struck with amazement at Riku's incredible talent. Inside the folder was another stack of drawings, this time of various people. He flipped them over and spotted words scrawled in the bottom right corner. He lifted one of the papers and peered at the words. _Boundaries, Hikaru and Yuki, _it read. Dark frowned as it seemed vaguely familiar.

"Oh!" Dark exclaimed and flipped the paper over. He scanned the figures again and the signature looped in the bottom right corner.

"What the hell are you doing?!" an angry voice shouted. Dark dropped the paper and whirled toward the door. Riku stood in the doorway, her brown eyes dark with anger.

"Ah, I um, well you weren't home and I, um, was bored?" Dark hastily replied. Riku scowled and stepped in, slamming and locking the door behind her. Dark winced. She stomped toward him and snatched the paper from his hand. She stuffed it in the folder and put the item back behind the lamp.

"Gomen," Dark mumbled, looking away.

Riku sighed and ran a hand through her short hair. She dropped her school stuff next to the desk and went into the bathroom. Dark stood and plopped onto the bed. He crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. A few minutes later, Riku emerged wearing a white T-shirt and baggy blue shorts.

"You're Rika, aren't you?" Dark asked quietly. Riku paused, looked at him then away with a sigh.

"Yeah," she replied. Dark smiled.

"I knew it. You're an amazing artist, you know," Dark sat up. "If your work was ever put in a museum, I'd have to steal it!"

Riku blushed lightly and, spinning her chair around to face the bed, sat in it.

"How do you feel?" she asked, leaning back in the chair and stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Better," Dark admitted. "Arigatou gozaimasu."

"It's no problem," Riku waved it away.

"I have to repay you somehow," Dark smiled, scooting to the foot of the bed. He took Riku's hand and interlaced their fingers. "How about I take you out?"

Riku felt her face turn pink as she looked down at their joined hands. She suddenly realized that this was exactly how the she and Dark in her dreams ended up together: Dark had insisted on repaying his debt to her!

"Um," Riku scrambled to find an excuse. "But if you go out, won't the police try to arrest you?"

"Na," Dark grinned and kissed Riku's knuckles. "If any cops see me, they won't think of me as the Phantom Thief unless I start flying."

"Oh. Well, um, I have school and lacrosse practice and the manga, so I don't really have time to go out..." Riku trailed off and looked out her glass balcony doors.

"And you still like Daisuke," Dark murmured.

"How... How do you know?" Riku looked at Dark in surprise. Dark chuckled mirthlessly. He looked Riku right in the eye.

"Because you are the only one for me." He released her hand and skimmed his fingers over her cheek before cupping it lightly. He leaned in and placed a light kiss on her lips. Riku froze, her eyes widening.

_What the...? _Riku's heart thudded as Dark continued to kiss her.

Then, too soon for Riku's liking, Dark pulled away, a half smile curving his lips. Riku stared at him for several humming minutes.

"So do we have a date, love?" Dark asked.

"Um, yeah, sure," Riku raked a hand through her hair, thoroughly flustered. Dark studied the hand gesture curiously. _Nervous habit, _he guessed. One he was quite sure she was unaware of.

"Good," Dark smiled and moved backwards to the pillow. "So, how'd you get into the manga business?"

"Oh well, when we were four, Risa and I was separated by our parents for two years. I went to the States while Risa stayed here. I was sick because the separation affected me greatly due to our twins' status. Actually that was reason behind the separation. Our parents feared that our connection was so strong that we wouldn't be able to function well without each other's constant presence. Anyway, I was ordered to stay in bed and I quickly finished reading all the books I could understand. TV bored me and it still does. There was a huge landscape painting in my room and I really, really wanted to be able to draw it. So I asked one of the maids to bring me a sketchbook and some colored pencils. I drew but realized I liked drawing people more. And of course, each person I drew needed a background so I started drawing comics. I kept drawing even after I recovered and still after my parents let me return here. My father had hired some artists to teach me between then so my skill level rose. When I got back here, I used my parents' influence to get published." Riku shrugged and busied herself with taking her homework out of her bag.

Dark remained quiet, staring at her out of darkened purple eyes.

"Next week sometime," he spoke up finally.

"What?" Riku turned from her desk, head cocked.

"I'll take you out sometime next week," he elaborated. Riku slowly nodded then turned back to her homework.

Dark smiled slightly. _I am so glad Daisuke's not around, _he thought.

.::.

"Kosuke... what do we do?" a voice asked worriedly.

"The only thing we can do... wait." Kosuke replied. He ran a hand slowly up and down his wife's back as he studied his sleeping son.

"What if Dark doesn't return?" she asked.

"He has no choice. The curse binds him to us forever," a rough gravelly voice replied. The couple turned.

"Otou-san..." the wife murmured.

"You should get some sleep, Emiko," her father stated. "Let Daisuke sleep."

"Hai," Emiko mumbled and walked down the stairs.

"Daiki..." Kosuke started as the old man turned to follow.

"What is it, Kosuke?"

"Does Dark really have no chance to be human again, to feel love?" Kosuke asked urgently.

"He might have," Daiki sighed. "But it has been a thousand years. Any record of a curse-breaker has never been found. Why would it be discovered now?"

"I'm going to keep looking," Kosuke stated. Daiki stroked his pointed white beard.

"Work quickly, before the Hikari clan strikes again," he said briskly then went down the stairs. Kosuke nodded.

"Kyuu...." a voice mewled softly. Kosuke turned back to his son curiously then smiled when he saw With sitting near Daisuke's head. The furry creature looked up at Kosuke imploringly.

"I'm sure Dark is fine, With," Kosuke murmured softly, stroking the white creature's soft fur. "And Daisuke will continue to fine. He was only out for the rest of the night after the theft, after all."

"Kyuu..."

.::.

Daisuke sighed and laid his aching head on his desk. Ever since the theft five days ago, Dark had somehow been mysteriously absent. His parents had claimed to know nothing, but he suspected they knew exactly what happened. Getting Dark to wake up was another matter.

_Dark, wake up already! _He called. No answer. He sighed again.

"Niwa-kun, is something wrong?"

Daisuke shot up in his seat, automatically blushing as he locked eyes with Harada Risa.

"Ah, it's-it's nothing," he stammered.

"Oh, well okay. Can I borrow your homework? I forgot mine at home," Risa fluttered her lashes for extra effect.

"Of, of course!" Daisuke cried and clumsily rummaged around in his bag for his notebook. He handed Risa the book and blushed furiously when their fingers brushed.

"Arigato, Niwa-kun! You're the greatest!" Risa smiled, hugging the notebook to her chest. Daisuke's heart thudded hard in response as Risa made her way back to her desk.

Daisuke pressed his hot forehead against his cool desk, sighing contentedly.

"Oh ho! I saw that Daisuke!" a voice cackled.

Daisuke groaned. "Urusai, Takeshi!"

"Nuh-uh, no way man! It sounds like Risa's starting to see you, eh?" Takeshi plopped loudly into the desk next to Daisuke's. He scooted the chair closer, folding his arms on the desk. "If you take my cleaning duty over for me today, I'll get some more pictures of her for ya!"

"Not today, Takeshi," Daisuke mumbled.

"Why not, Daisuke? You fall for it every other time," Masahiro said, straddling the chair in front of Daisuke's desk.

"Because I..." Daisuke searched for a lie. He closed his eyes and gave up. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Yes! That's more like it!" Takeshi grinned.

Daisuke sighed. What he did for his friends.

.::.

Riku mopped at the sweat sliding down her face with a towel.

"Hey, Riku!"

She turned toward the voice and smiled. It belonged to one of her lacrosse teammates.

"You want to walk home together?" the girl asked.

"No, you go ahead. I forgot something in the classroom," Riku smiled sheepishly.

"Ah, okay. See you tomorrow!" The girl swung around and headed off the field.

Riku sighed and trudged back into the school building in her lacrosse uniform. It consisted of a red collared T-shirt with a white A embroidered over her left breast, a short blue skirt over equally short black shorts, red gloves, brown knee-high socks, and a pair of brown and white shoes. She laid her lacrosse stick over her shoulder as she slid her classroom door open. She gasped.

"Niwa-kun, what are you doing here?!"

The redhead jolted and swung around to face her. He blushed embarrassed.

"Ah, Harada-san. I got suckered into doing Takeshi's clean-up duty but then I forgot about it until now." Daisuke rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh."

"What are you doing here?" he asked curiously as he started sweeping the floor again.

"Oh well I forgot my math notebook. Can't do homework without the right materials," Riku laughed a little as she walked over to her desk. She rummaged around in it before pulling out her black notebook. She looked up at a loud bang followed by a series of crashes.

"Ah, kuso!" Daisuke swore at desks he knocked. Riku raised a brow. _Since when did he curse? _

"Need a hand, Niwa-kun?" Riku offered, already righting the closest desk.

"Ah, arigato, Harada-san," Daisuke smiled at her thankfully.

"It's no problem," Riku replied cheerfully. Soon all the desks were in their proper places. Riku dusted off her hands and grabbed her book and lacrosse stick off her desk. "See you later, Niwa-kun!"

"Sayonara!" Daisuke called back as she left the classroom.

As she walked down the halls, Riku blushed lightly, rejoicing in her private moment with him.

She glanced at her watch and her eyes widened.

"Kuso!" She ran out of the building, her bag slung over her shoulder. Her feet slapped loudly against the pavement as she rushed to the trolley station.

_Dark better be in my room with the door locked or else Risa might see him! _

.::.

Dark hummed a tune, enjoying his newfound freedom. He strolled down the hallway of the Harada mansion, occasionally stopping to look at the various paintings and pictures decorating it. He made a right down the hallway and spotted a closed door. He walked up to it and turned the knob. The door opened with a creak and he poked his head in. It was obviously a guest room, by the plain cream-colored sheets on the queen-sized bed and simple adjoining bath and closet. Dark quickly closed the door and turned around, lazily pondering what he should do.

"When's Riku coming back?" he whined loudly.

"I'm home!" a feminine voice called out.

_Riku! _Dark perked up and hurried down the hallway. Then he skidded to a halt and quickly hid behind a corner. _That's not Riku! It's Risa! _Dark quickly looked right and left, trying to remember which way Riku's room was. _Kuso! Is it right, right, left? Or left, right, left? Argh, this place is huge! I need a map! _Dark pressed against the wall when Risa's steps sounded closer.

"Tsuchibana! Where are you? I'm hungry!" Risa's voice whined. Dark winced at the high-pitched tone. _Daisuke seriously likes this brat? Poor Riku, a great person like her is being forced into second place by her high-maintenance, piece of fluff sister. _Dark gritted his teeth, turned, and ran lightly down the left hallway away from Risa.

Eventually he made back into Riku's bedroom. He locked the door and slouched in her chair with a sigh. He skimmed a glance over Riku's drawings, which had grown in number since yesterday.

"I'll make you forget Daisuke and remember who truly loves you, Riku," Dark murmured. _You'll remember the good old days, somehow. I promise. I'll make you happy, like no one ever has, just like you said so many years ago. _"Then you'll keep your promise...right?"

* * *

Refer to last line of Chapter 2 for other promise reference, if curious.

Tsuchibana is the butler, just in case you forgot.


	7. Chapter 6

Guardian Angel Chapter 6

**Dark to Daisuke; **_Daisuke to Dark  
__Thoughts  
__Lyrics  
__Flashback__  
Dreams**  
Dark's thoughts**_

* * *

The fateful day arrived too soon, in Riku's opinion. What was worse was Dark had seemed to completely forget about it until the night before. He'd casually mentioned that he was going to take her out the next day before rolling over and falling asleep. Riku had blushed before doing what had quickly become a habit: drawing Dark sleeping. It was worse because she had been thinking about the date every day.

Now it was the day after, the day of their 'date.' Riku stood in front of her closet and sighed. She felt like Risa. Scratch that. Risa would know exactly what to wear. Riku swore softly as she scanned her clothes. She wasn't going to dress to impress Dark, that was for sure, but she didn't want to commit some weird fashion faux pas and embarrass the guy. Riku sighed and gave up. She would wear what she felt like wearing.

.::.

Dark stared nervously into the bathroom mirror, absently fiddling with the silk tie knotted very loosely around his neck. It was so loose that the knot fell in between his rib cages and the ends brushed the top of his belt. Dark ran a hand through his hair, wondering if he should tie it back or try to comb it into something tame. He rolled his shoulders, examining how his white collared T-shirt followed the movement underneath the black suit jacket. He'd paired it with his usually black pants. Dark sighed and braced his hands against the counter to lean closer to the mirror.

"You will not screw this up," he told his reflection. He rewashed his hands and face before grabbing the delicate white rose he remembered was Riku's favorite and leaving the bathroom. He took another loud breath as the door shut behind and he walked to the other side of the house where Riku waited.

.::.

Riku jolted when the knock sounded at her door. She ran to her mirror and doubled checked herself. She'd settled on simple: a burgundy button down collared T-shirt with small pockets over her breasts paired with black cargo pants. Riku imagined her sister would scream in horror as the clothes didn't fit the feminine standards for a date. Riku shrugged and stuck her neon green iPod nano into her pocket and let the accompanying stereo headphones hang around her neck. She checked her plain brown wallet for cash before slipping that into the pants pocket on her knee. She finger-combed her hair quickly and took a deep breath.

"Riku?" Dark called through the door.

"One second!" Riku cried flustered. She shoved her feet into black Converse before pulling the door open. She scanned him quickly, immediately liking his choice of dress.

"Nice," she grinned. Dark laughed a little, trying to fight the blush creeping its way up his neck. Swallowing a little, he held out the rose.

"Yours," he said simply. Riku gasped softly as she took the rose and breathed in its scent. Pressing the rose to her cheek lightly, she smiled up at him.

"How'd you know?" she asked.

"Instinct," he smiled back. Riku blushed and turned back into her room to put the flower in some water.

"So where are we going?" she asked when she returned.

"Dinner and a movie," Dark replied as they descended the stairs.

"You? Going for the standard? Amazing," Riku said grinning. Dark paused at the bottom of the steps. He turned back and held out a hand to her. Riku paused a bit before taking it.

Dark brought it to his lips. Riku blushed.

"Only the best for you, Riku," Dark said.

_Oh god, _Riku thought as her heartbeat quickened inside her rib cage.

.::.

Riku grinned in approval as an explosion unfolded on the silver screen. She watched as the hero, identified as such as he had kicked the most ass thus far, sped away unscathed on a motorcycle. She had halfway expected Dark to choose some sappy romantic comedy type movie but he had surprised her by choosing the latest action flick.

"You like?" Dark murmured in her ear. Riku blushed at his proximity.

"It's, ah, it's great," she whispered back.

Dark's lips curved slowly and he shifted back to watch the screen. Riku turned back too but Dark couldn't help but look at her again. His gaze dropped down to the hand resting on the armrest between them. He drummed his fingers on his knee, wondering if he could get away with it.

_Screw it, this might be my only chance, _Dark thought grimly.

While keeping his eyes on the screen, he reached out with his right hand and covered Riku's left one. Her head snapped toward him in surprise but he continued to look at the screen. She tugged her hand a little but he tightened his grip. He thought he heard her sigh but wasn't sure over the cacophony of noise from the speakers; the hero had just blown up a van filled with the bad guys' minions. A satisfied smile curved his lips as they held hands for the rest of the movie.

.::.

Riku couldn't help but stared at their joined hands. Even after the movie had finished, Dark had refused to let go. Though she would never admit it out loud, she kind of liked the feel of her hand in his. _I've really mellowed, _she mused with a chuckle. _It's those dreams, they're affecting me... _Riku wanted to sigh. She was still dreaming about Dark and whatever that place was. It was hard enough having sleep at her desk with Dark resting in the bed and with the dreams...

"Where'd you go?" Dark asked quietly.

"What?" she replied blankly. She looked around and realized they were at the park. Dark was in front of her, still grasping her hand lightly while staring at her. "Oh. Gomen, I was distracted."

Dark chuckled and lifted her hand to his lips. Riku blushed and tried to tug her hand away.

"Distracted by what?" Dark asked, humor dancing in his violet eyes.

"Just things," she said vaguely, still trying to tug her hand away. Dark frowned and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. _Am I boring her? _He thought with a sudden panic.

"Ano... Riku..." he started but broke off when a wail sounded nearby.

"Eh? What's going on?" Riku wondered and hurried toward the sound. Dark quickly followed and the couple trudged through the bushes as the wailing started again.

They came upon a small boy of about four sitting on the grass crying for his mother. Hot tears ran down his red face and the boy uselessly tried to knuckle the tears away. Blades of grass were scattered over his denim overalls and red sweater.

"Oi, what's wrong? Did you lose your Okaa-chan?" Riku asked softly, crouching down next to him. The boy nodded pitifully.

"I want my," he hiccupped, "Okaa-chan!"

Riku picked up the boy and stood, setting him on her hip. "Where did you last see your Okaa-chan?"

"By the scary statue! I saw a cute puppy and I only wanted to play with it. Now I can't find Okaa-chan!" He whined. A big tear rolled down his chubby cheek.

"There's more than one statue in the park," Dark murmured, absently stroking the boy's soft black hair.

"Scary statue..." Riku mused. "Most of the statues here are of famous Japanese people. Hm..." Riku glanced around, not noticing that the boy laid his head on her shoulder.

"Oh!" Riku realized what statue the boy was talking about. She quickly turned and headed east. The boy clung tightly.

"Riku, nani? Did you figure it out?" Dark rushed up and kept up with her brisk pace.

"Hai, I'm pretty sure he's talking about that grim reaper statue that was never removed when they renovated the park," Riku stroked her free hand down the boy's back and he snuggled his head into the crook of her neck. Riku smiled softly as she stepped back onto the concrete path. Dark followed along feeling vaguely useless.

"Why don't I take him?" Dark suggested.

"I got him."

Dark shrugged at her stubbornness. He leaned over and touched the boy's shoulder.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Shintani Aoi," the boy sniffled.

"That's a very special name," Dark smiled kindly at Aoi.

"It is?"

"Hai. There's a famous legend about a brave man named Shintani Aoi. You should ask your Okaa-chan to tell it to you someday."

"What if I never find her?" Aoi cried, squirming in Riku's arms. "I want Okaa-chan!"

Dark chuckled as Riku set the boy down. They'd both heard and spotted Aoi's frantic mother calling for him a few minutes ago. Riku grasped Aoi's shoulder and turned him in the direction of his mother.

"Okaa-chan!" he shrieked and ran on his stubby legs toward her.

"Oh, Aoi-kun!" His mother snagged him as he leapt into her arms. She squeezed him tightly, murmuring words of comfort. She looked over her son's head at Riku and Dark. A grateful smile curved her lips as she hurried forward.

"Arigato gozaimasu," she said, tears glittering in her eyes. "I was just turned around for one second and Aoi was gone!"

"Ah, it's fine, just happy to help," Riku smiled politely in return. The mother shifted her gaze between Riku and Dark.

"I'm so sorry to have interrupted your date with your boyfriend," she told Riku.

"Ano, he's not—"

"Oh, it's no problem," Dark grabbed Riku's hand and winked at the woman. "It's always great to see Riku handle little kids. Gives me an idea for the future, ya know?" Dark grinned cheekily.

Riku's jaw dropped. He did _not!_ She stared at him in disbelief as the woman laughed. Dark merely continued grinning, ignoring the vicious tugs on his hand. He chatted amiably with the woman and Aoi as the sun set the sky ablaze with hues of red, orange, and yellow. Riku gave up trying to release her hand and concentrated on the sunset. A vague itch for her canvas and oils welled inside her as she studied the array of colors on the horizon. A part of her remained attentive to Dark's conversation about children but mostly she went into artist mode. Riku looked down at a sudden tug on her pants. Aoi hand a solid grip on left pants leg so she crouched down. Her hand slipped out of Dark's.

"Something wrong, Aoi?" she asked curiously.

"You like the pretty colors?" he asked, pointing a finger behind him at the sun. Riku grinned and nodded.

"It's very cool," she replied. She brushed a remaining tear from Aoi's cheek. The boy grinned and threw his arms around her neck.

"Arigatou onee-chan!" he said happily. Riku smiled and rubbed his back.

"Aoi-kun, we have to go home now. Otou-san's waiting," Aoi's mother crouched down and picked him up.

"I want to play with onee-chan!" he whined and kicked his legs.

"Next time, okay?" Riku winked at the little boy and he grinned slightly.

The sun was gone by the time Aoi's mother dragged him away. The wind picked up and mussed Riku's hair and bare arms, making her shiver.

"Here." Dark stripped off his jacket and draped it across her shoulders. Riku gripped the lapels closer and smiled up at him.

"Arigatou," she said.

"So... back to the house, I guess?" Dark guessed. Riku shrugged.

"If you want."

Silence enveloped the two as Dark weighed his options. He glanced down at his date, entranced by her eyes.

"Okay. There's just one thing though."

"Oh? What is—"

Dark held Riku's bicep lightly as he leaned down at kissed her gently. Riku's eyes widened. Dark lingered as her lips warmed and parted slightly under his. Riku moved forward as Dark's other arm wrapped around her.

"Riku..." Dark groaned against her lips. "I missed you so much." He raised his head to hug her tightly and bury his face in her neck.

"I'm never, ever leaving you again," he swore.

"Dark... What?" Stunned by the raw emotion in his voice, Riku froze in his embrace.

They stayed that way for what seemed forever. Then Dark released her.

"All better now," he said brightly. "Let's go home now!"

"Ah..." More confused than ever, Riku tagged along behind him.

Dark moved quickly, glad that Riku was behind him. That way she couldn't see the shattered look on his face.

He was sure of it now. Her reaction had proved it. She didn't remember. She didn't love him. He'd been hoping the date would trigger something. But it hadn't.

Now he was surer than ever the Niwa curse would never release him. Never give him the chance to be happy again, never let Riku keep her promise.

He was alone. Forever.


	8. Chapter 7

Guardian Angel  
Chapter 7

Beware of short chapters.

At the end of this chapter, you might think the story is over. But it's not. Definitely not. There is more to come ;)

* * *

The papers fluttered to the floor forgotten. With trembling hands, Emiko lifted the book up to peer closer at the incantation on the page. Her eyes lighted in triumph and she turned and ran out of the library, sprinting up the stone steps into her family's living room, threw the book onto her father's lap.

"Tou-chan! I found out how we can merge Dark and Dai-chan back together!"

"Hm?" Daiki ran his fingertip under the lines of the incantation, muttering the words under his breath. "Hai, hai, this could work. Excellent job, Emiko."

Emiko grinned. "I'll go upstairs and tell Dai-chan!" She went up the steps with the same energy.

"Ano.. Tou-san..." Kosuke stood up from his seat at the kitchen table and walked over to read over Daiki's soldier.

"What, Kosuke?"

"Is it right for us to take away Dark's freedom again?" the younger man wondered aloud. "The fact that he hasn't come back tells us something."

"He's just hiding. We're putting them back together. The curse is not broken because the Hikaris pulled the wool over our eyes this time," Daiki replied flatly. Kosuke sighed and glanced out the window at the sky.

_I have a bad feeling about this._

.::.

"Riku!" Dark whined, drawing out her name. He poked the girl again but she merely swatted his hand away. Dark sighed. Riku had been working hard for hours, her stereo headphones pumping out music as she drew. It left Dark alone and he was bored. After the date last week, he had backed off to play playful friend. Azumano's school festival plus her manga and sports were taking up all of Riku's time. She'd been unanimously chosen to be the concept art designer for the class's café.

The point of it all was simple: Dark was bored.

He hadn't flown in weeks, let alone stolen anything. Dark sighed again. What was he going to do? _I could go back to the Niwas, _he thought then immediately rejected the idea. Although he was being ignored at moment, he was happier at Riku's side than he was being inside Daisuke. _At least I can't change forms here, _he grinned. He could touch, hold, and kiss Riku all he wanted. Dark turned his head to look at Riku as an idea formed in his head. Risa was out wasting money so he was free to wander the house. Making sure Riku wasn't paying attention, he slipped out of her room.

.::.

Riku yawned and stretched, leaning back in her chair. She was finally done with the volume seven of _Boundaries. _Since the manga wasn't serialized in a magazine, she didn't have to pump out a chapter each week and be way ahead of the published volumes. It was a lot easier on her and the team of artists who inked and edited the manga. Standing up from her desk, she realized Dark wasn't lying on the bed.

"Crap! Where'd he go? Oh, I hope Risa and Tsubouchi aren't home!" Riku flew out of her room and down the stairs looking frantically right and left. She looked in the formal dining room and stared at what she saw.

Her mother's best china was on the table, sparkling under the light from the crystal chandelier. Domed silver platters crowded around the head of the table and the seat to its right. Riku walked over and picked up a fork. Yep, definitely her mother's best utensils.

"You like it?" A smooth, tenor voice asked behind her. Riku turned and nearly laughed aloud at the sight of Dark in a bright pink apron.

"What is this?" she asked amused, tilting her head toward the table.

"Dinner for two." He smiled and strolled to her, lifting her hand to his lips. Riku blushed and tugged her hand away sticking it in her pocket.

"You didn't have to. And Risa's going to come home any minute!"

"Nope," he smiled again. "She called earlier and left a message saying she won't be home until later. She nagged her friends into having dinner with her."

"Oh." Riku turned to face the table again. She jumped a little when Dark's arms slid around her waist. He kissed her hair.

"Having dinner with me, Riku," he whispered huskily into her ear. Riku felt heat rush into her face again. _Romantic fool, _she thought.

"_Dark, you know you don't have to go all out every time," Riku smiled with amusement as she scanned the dozens of candles lighting the dining hall._

"_Why not?" Dark asked. He pulled her toward him and kissed her lightly. "The most beautiful woman in the world deserves the best." _

"_I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world." Riku poked the taller man in the chest twice. _

"_Yes you are," Dark whispered. "I see no one but you." He kissed her again, deeply, slowly, lovingly. _

"_Romantic fool," Riku muttered when he let go. _

Riku gasped and swayed a little when the memory hit her.

"Riku!" Alarmed, Dark gripped in her tightly as he examined her eyes. The lovely shade of brown was blurred and shadows were under her eyes. "Riku, sit down."

"Yeah, maybe I should." Dazed, Riku let her watery legs fold under her when Dark pulled out her chair.

"Eat, eat." Dark lifted the lid of her plate to reveal a juicy steak.

"I will, just give me a minute." Riku grabbed the wine glass and drank water in large gulps. "Man, that was weird."

"What happened?" Dark touched his fingers lightly to her cheek.

"Just had a flash of something, a memory or other." Riku frowned. It was the first time she'd had a flashback, if that's what it was, while she was awake.

Dark's eyes flickered darkly for a moment as he thought about it. _Could it be... that she's remembering us from so long ago? Is that even possible?_

"What was it a memory of?" he asked carefully.

Riku sighed and waved a hand. "It doesn't matter. Let's eat first then maybe I'll tell you." Riku glanced at the plates Dark had uncovered and goggled. "Did you cook all this yourself?" There were a myriad of dishes: steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli, tonkatsu, dumplings, steamed buns.

"Mostly," Dark grinned at her reaction. "I did go out briefly to get the buns. I took my time since I didn't know when you'd be done."

"Oh man." Riku pressed a hand to her empty stomach. "I could eat."

"You better. You missed lunch."

Chuckling, Riku glanced at Dark. "Who's taking care of who now?" she teased.

He turned serious as he covered her hands with his.

"We'll take care of each other, Riku. I'll never let you down. I swear it."

Dark looked at her and silently begged her to respond in kind. He'd had enough of playing playful friend. He wanted to be more to Riku. He wanted things back the way they were before. And maybe, just maybe whatever had hit her just now would help him.

"Dark..." Riku stared at him wide-eyed. She definitely hadn't been expecting this. As she stared, the feeling of happiness from her flashback and dreams filled her.

She looked down at their hands. Daisuke had never looked at her like that or held her hand that way. Daisuke did nothing for her period. _Why am I still clinging to him? _She wondered. She had a man in front of her who had proclaimed his love for her a thousand times and proved it a thousand ways. Dark made her happy for sure, but did she love him the way he loved her? Riku suddenly feared hurting him.

But the feeling from her dreams came back to her. The Riku in the dream obviously returned Dark's love. Could she do it too? Riku let out a shaky breath before lifting her gaze to meet Dark's.

Silently, she turned her palm up to link fingers with him. Surprised flickered in Dark's eyes but before he could say a word, Riku leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

Dark's lips parted in surprised and he gripped her hands to pull her into his lap and kiss her more deeply. Riku's eyes fluttered closed and she moaned when their tongues met.

"Riku..." her name came muffled from his lips. Dark's hand reached up hold Riku's hair and her hands linked around his neck.

Dark reluctantly pulled away when the need for air became too great.

"Riku." He repeated as he gazed at her. Her face was flushed and her lips were swollen slightly from their kiss. He swallowed and combed his fingers through her hair.

"I can't remember the question," Riku began and leaned closer to him, "but the answer is yes."

Stunned at the turn of events, Dark quickly squeezed her against him in a crushing hug.

"I love you, Riku," he declared, his voice raw with emotion. Riku buried her face into his neck and nodded.

She didn't have an answer to that particular statement but she had just given herself the chance to find one.


End file.
